LAP-BAND Surgery Forums

I live out of state and I'm not familiar with the doctors in the Salt Lake City area. Can anyone recommend physicians they have had positive experiences with or let me know of the doctors you would not highly recommend. It's kinda scary to just look at a list of names and not know anything about any of them. I want to have my first visit be with a doctor I can feel at ease with and trust. Please help me out. I'm just starting out on this venture and I'm just a little nervous about it. Thanks!

A friend of mine (my best friend) said that if this works for me, she's thinking of getting the magic pill. I asked her what she meant by "magic pill" and she thinks that with this surgery, it's a guarantee and the "easy" way to do it. :faint: I really couldn't believe what she was saying. We did have a bit of a tiff over it and both agreed to disagree. How do you handle people like this that think the lapband is the easy way to lose weight?:puke: I thought I'd just blow it off, but I seem to be stewing about it. How do you handle people like this?:help: I've just been approved (insurance) and am waiting for the last test result to come in (sleep clinic) to be able…

After the comments back and forth surrounding the Dr. Ortiz thread I felt the need to vent some on a separate thread. I won't rehash what was already said on that thread. I will simply state my thoughts and how I am dealing with it all. I was very offended by the comments of both Dr. Ortiz and Dr. Pleatman. I addressed those on that thread. When thinking about my own personal demons I reflect on what got me so mad and upset over those comments. I realized it was one more thing telling me that no matter what I try it won't work. I will forever be fat. My insecurities came out when both their comments seemed insensitive and detached. This pissed me off a…

she is 8 weeks old, 4 1/2 pounds (did anyone lose that last week? lol) She is a total mutt! They told me she was shitzu and laso opso (lol SP?) But the vet said thathe thinks she has some distant chow in her and a whole bunch of stuff he really wasn't sure. She is a sweet heart! Slept really well last night. I just couldn't sleep because I was so excited! Isn't she cute!!!

just a thought here, Should the clinics in Mexico ONLY take USA patients on referral from a clinic in the u.s ? this way the mexico clinic knows that you already have your follow up care taken care of.

Hi, I was just wondering out of my own curiousity how something would work. This is just a scenario, not a "real patient". Say you have a patient who is banded and 18 months later they are eroded. This patient is down to say 125lbs from 250. At this point they are no longer obese or overweight. In one of your posts you recommended changing over to gastric bypass or some other surgery (sorry I don't remember). Would such a thing be done on someone as small as 125 (or even within the normal limits of BMI) or would they have to gain a lot of their weight back in order to have a different type of WLS?? Like I said I'm just curious and not trying to start a debate…

Did anyone else not lose weight? I just had my first fill and still feel no different. I am getting frustrated. I know in time it will get better, but I was not prepaired for this. I have gained weight back that I originally lost. My Dr. is upset because I was told to eat until I got full. Now I don't know about any of you, but I am not good at telling when I am full. So I am going back to ask for very strict guidelines for my diet. So I am just wondering if others could let me know if this happened to them and let me know that once I find the right fill number that things will be better.:faint:

How many of you have hit a plateau and been stuck there for what seems like forever??? My weight loss has come to a complete HALT!!! I've STOPPED losing...and I can't get the scale to budge again! Need your suggestions & ideas to help get past this!!! HELP!! Nancy :help:

I am being banded on the 22nd. My brother is getting married in Barbados on August 19th. I would like to lose a lot of weight by then since I haven't seen my brother and parents for a couple of years. I have been overweight all my life and have dreamed of "wowing" them with a big weight loss. Of course I own't be near goal, but I'd like to lose 80 pounds by then. Is that realistic?:help:

Ok I just got off the phone with Dr. Neal's nurse. I talked to her about my problems that I have been having. Now I don't know where to turn. She basically said that I should contact Dr. Lopez in Mexico and let him know what is going on. Well that is not a option for me like I told her. I want a american Doctor that I can depend on. She gave me the cost of the Endoscopy and it is about 4200.00 and my insurance will not cover, if the band is eroded or there is a problem with it. From what I told her she didn't say whether she thought the band was related to my problems. She did say that if there is a erosion and it is left untreated it is very serious. So now what…

And NO, these aren't my boobies!

The lady gave me a list of veggies, and said I needed to go low fat/low carbs to prepare for the surgery. Problem is that she did not say when to start, nor did she tell me what low fat/low carb means to this doctor. I will definitly be calling the office to ask, but I am curious about any input ya'll can help me with. :hungry: :hungry: :hungry: :hungry: :hungry: :hungry: :hungry: :hungry: :hungry: :hungry: :hungry: :hungry: :hungry: :hungry: :hungry: :hungry: :hungry: :hungry: :hungry: I want to appreciate each large meal like it is the last, but I really need to know if this one really is the last.

How long do you think one should wait after getting banded to have a glass of wine?

I was on my Treadclimer this morning no breakfast too tight in the AM. Had some ice cold water after my routine. My stomach was upset then had the dry heaves for a few minutes. Only thing that came up was mucus. Now sipping on hot chocolate to ease the stomach. My band has had the same fill for over a year at 4.4 cc. My doc has a very hard time accessing my port so I do not get fillls or unfilled as much as I use to. My current weight has been at 195 for over a year. Since having the band in April of 2003 I have lost a total of 63 libs. I am a slow loser. For a new years resolution I have started a good work out for 5 days a week over the last 3 weeks. I know the band i…

I just wanted to wish Beanie good luck today with her surgery. She's waitied so long and has gone through so much with her insurance company. GO BEANIE GO BEANIE GO BEANIE WE LOVE YOU !!!!

Today is my first bandiversary. It's hard to think of the entire process as successful at this point. I lost 40 lbs in the first 3 months, and have lost and gained the same 10 lbs since then several times. However, I have another fill scheduled for next week, and this fill should give me real restriction -- I haven't had much restriction at all since my slip/unslip, and I realize that like many tools, the band is a tool that doesn't work if it's not properly calibrated. So I'm looking forward to being back where I should be. Of course I'm not happy that my band slipped, but I'm so thankful that it slipped back, and that there was no damage as a result. Further, I…

Monmouth/Ocean County Support Group is forming. Email me if interested.:clap2:

:amen: :clap2:yyyiiiiiiiiiiipppppieeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee, I am scheduled for March 13, that is a Monday. I am sure it will be a beautiful, sunny day. :hungry: eat each large meal like it is the last :dance: do the happy dance :target: jump like a maniac :usa2: recite the pledge of allegiance :Yawn: kiss my husband, who is providing the funds :typing: get on lapbandtalk.com and tell all of my new friends. :blah: talk about it to my husband until he reaches the brink of insanity. :pray2: say a prayer to thank God :amen: :angel: :pizza: order some pizza, thick crust :camera: BEFORE PICS.....FUN!!!!!!!!!! :photo: NOW, SMILE :photo: AND SIDE.... …

anyone wanting to chat, go to the chatroom.

I hope everyone is doing well. I'm down 65lbs and hope to be in ONEderland by my birthday on May 23rd. I hope everyone is feeling good and doing well. :girl_hug:

As the title says lol, just wondering how many surgeons other people say before picking the one to have surgery with? I went to three, as insisted upon by my husband lol, before I found the one for me...

first off i wanted to wish everyone luck on enjoying the super bowl without the usual munchies that it comes along with, that way we all win, but more litterally, im gonna go ahead and fairly certainly say the steelers are gonna kick ass. any thoughts or disagreements? bring it on...

With all this talk about band erosions, port infections, etc. and people second guessing themselves: Should I have gotten the band or not?, I'm slightly unsure now which WLS procedure to pursue. Anyhow-- Haven't they (bariatric surgeons) been doing Lap Band surgeries in Europe for years now? What do the studies/statistics show there? All the Lap band literature says that the band (ideally) should be left in (forever, if possible) to prevent weight gain. Are the Eurpoeans having these same issues 1-2 years down the road. Has anyone had the band in for over 5 years? 10 Years? If these procedures have been occurring for a long time--longer than in the US or Mexico--what…

someone posted a thread about a week ago...and it had a few great low fat crock pot recipes in it...just wondering if y'all had some more u wanted to share...

I just wanted to share something that has really worked for me since being banded. I'm very busy (like most of you, I'm sure) and really don't have time to cook, which usually translates to fast food. But I decided that planning was the key to weight loss, so what I do is plan 7 of my favorite healthy meals each month. I make all of them when I get the chance (usually on Sunday afternoons) and then I portion them out into bandster portions. I use my Suck 'n Seal (can't remember the real name of the machine) and usually get about 8 portions out of each dish. I stick them all in the freezer and for each meal I'll just boil the bags straight from the freezer for about 10 min…

After being banded 1/16, I would burp in small (then very painful) hiccups. Now they don't hurt anymore, but I am still not able to burp normally. Each one starts as a hiccup with the burp following. My Question: Is this normal? I am wondering if this is because my surgeon anchors the band in the diaphragm. If so, could I be injuring myself since I am still in the healing process. My mental image of straining stitches is an UGLY one. :help: Thanks, Brenda

im having these mini burps but not really burping just discomfort and moved to full liquids with bean and bacon soup pureed and so on, trying to get 2 slim fast low card diet protein drinks in but its tough with the water too. ( actually i drink crystal light) still have some pain and soreness and hurts a little to ride in car. is this normal? any suggestions tell me anything thanks Roger

For a Newbee, all this erosion talk is scarey ... Especially since I chose to be banded in Mexico. Yes, It was a choice. I saw on the threads about the different techniques.. I don't understand a lot of this medical stuff, but thanks to Penni, Susan and some others, I pulled my surgery report out and my surgeon, Dr. Rumbaut did use the pars flaccida technique. I am so relieved....:puke: I know this isn't a reprieve and anything could happen, but at least the preferred technique was used.

I am really struggling with some issues today. I can't quite figure out what my problem is. I think I might be grieving over not being able to eat breakfast because I can't get it down. Grieving because if I try to eat more than 1/2 of a piece of chicken I end up PBing all afternoon. I even have trouble getting all of my water in. I finally have good restriction and I am happy about that. The scale is beginning to move again, but my mood is low.:cry How can that be? This is what I wanted right? It might be that I am having trouble taking my throid medicine in the morning. I am on Lexapro already. I don't know. Maybe it's because my youngest if off at collage a…

I have to have my gall bladder out. I am having pain with everything I eat. I had a HIDA scan and my gall bladder is almost not functioning at all. My surgery date is Feb. 16th. My follow-up care surgeon is doing the surgery. Should I expect him to empty my band prior to surgery? Anyone have their gall bladder out after banding? What was your experience? ~Mandy

So, I'm on a trip for work to Cancun.... Sitting in the restaraunt with the nice white table cloths - eating the dry chicken and fish I was explicitly told not to eat. Just had surgery a while ago and assumed that all restriction was gone..... NOT!!!!!!! Feel a tremendous pressure in my chest and remember everyone's stories about being out to eat at a restaurant and either sitting near the bathroom, or carrying a zip lock bag "just in case". I had neither. I quickly excuse myself from the table and run outside the restaurant and hide behind a stack of chairs. I'm feeling rather ill and know I can't throw up... this is not an option because I don't want to screw up …

...out on Carrie. Where are you Miss Sprite?!?!

OMG!!! :omg: I am in agony right now!!!! I had one of those little tuna kits and I put extra mayo in it to get it a bit more wet and oh holy sh#%!!!! BAM! I had the pain in my back and in my chest...it got STUCK!!! :faint: I was able to eat about half of the tuna mix and then 1/2 of one cracker. I have been walking around my office for 15 minutes breathing and stretching and I think I have finally gotten some relief!!!! NEVER AGAIN!!! Tuna is so off my list of foods!!!!! Boy did my fill from last week ever kick in!!! :omg: So what food(s) have you sworn off???

*~Otherwise known as "Hopeful One Day, Scared Sh*tless The Next"~* :hungry: Reading through erosion posts, pictures of infections, stories of slippage and removals, I sally forth to my meeting with the Psych doc and nutritionist, with what amounts to this month's rent money in hand to pay for this visit. I don't take this surgery lightly. I was actually able to have this done by a different surgeon back in the Fall. But I needed more time to make sure I was doing the right thing. Let's be honest, going under the knife to be able to lose weight is a huge step, and a serious one. I went to a support group meeting of this other surgeon and I was shocked at how qu…

My surgery is next Monday 2/6, and I just finished writing a letter to my children in case something goes horribly wrong and I don't make it. Did anyone else do anything like this? I know the odds are pretty slim that something will happen, but I really felt led to put some of my hopes and desires for them down on paper. And now I'm sitting at my desk blubbering. How strong were everyone else's fears before surgery?

I'm not happy with my results!! I had my lapband put on in late July & 2 fills later no luck. Has anyone else had this problem? I did lose like 10 lbs but then I put it back on during the holidays. Can't seem to get back on tract again. HELP

Hello, everyone! I just found this community today...6 days before my surgery (Feb 11th). My name is Christina (or stina for short), I'm 32 years old, and I'd been researching/considering LAP Band surgery for about a year before I decided to seriously go forward with it. I'll be having my surgery done by Dr. George Fielding at NYU Medical Center. I have a goal of 110 pounds, but depending on how I feel and look, I may go to 120...we'll play it by ear! :biggrin1: To say that I'm nervous is an understatement. I know this is the right decision for me and my heath, and my family and friends are 100% supportive and proud. But I am nervous and scared of making the wro…

Hey everyone, I am getting banded on Feb, 20th and I have so much anxiety about it. I want to get this done, but I have read so much about infections, port pain, slippage, and thats only to name a few. I am really nervous, excited...but nervous. I go Feb 8th to have my pre-op appointment, I guess this is where they will put me on the 2 week pre-op diet. Is it really all liquids? Will someone post back with some insight as to what is a normal experience and calm my nerves some. I have had to take sleeping pills b/c I get so worked up thinking about everything at night. Don't get me wrong I want to do this, I just am a little scared!! I am having Dr Charles Morton do my …

Im suuuure at one point in our struggle with weight loss we were members of weight watchers! They alwasy have had such great recipes that are low in fat and great tasting. I was wondering if anyone had some quick easy yummy low fat ww recipes they have tried in the past that they might want to share...

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Okay, anyone remember when Delarla told us that her doctor said to NOT eat artificial sweeteners because it makes you crave sugar more?!? I don't normally eat artificial sweeteners & wasn't too concerned. Well, yesterday I bought these new candy bars made with Splenda. They were the kind with caramel & nuts. It really tasted like a candy bar & only had 3 carbs. I have been doing very good lately with my calories, Protein, carbs & exercising. 1 hr. after eating that freakin' candy bar I wanted to eat the whole house!!!! I ended up drinking some pop, Cookies & grazed on junk the whole night. I was out of control!! I was so mad at myself!! TH…

My name is Audrey, I currently live in the Lakes Region of NH. I am considering having this procedure done and hope to talk with other people from NH who have had this done or are considering it like myself.

I'm having my surgery in Tennessee and will be there for a couple fills, then I'm going to be in Salt Lake City indefinitely. Does anyone know a fill dr. there that will do fills when you had your surgery somewhere else. Any help would be greatly appreciated. Thank you.

:dance: Wed. Feb15/06 is my BAND day. :dance: If I could hold a tune, I'd be singing right now ~~~ ....I'm so excited; and I just can't hide it... I had my pre-op tests yesterday and found out that I have Reflux and a Hiatal Hernia. Not good news, but it explains the heartburt I've been having lately. WL will definitely improve my life. Thanks for listening, I just had to share my good news. :high5: WOOHOO !!

Finally, it's my turn! I am having surgery with Dr. de la Garza in Monterray on the 22nd. Yeah! The only bummer is that I have to go down by myself. Oh well.

okay, I'm finally home from school and work. *sigh* what a day, what a day. The good news is that the inital results from the tests are good, but this means that there are more tests to run. In the mean time she's going to treat my PCOS agressively, trying to deal with the underlying problem and not just give me birth control pills. She also gave me some anti-anxity pills. Apperently being stressed about not losing weight is not going to help me lose weight. Go figure. So, we still don't know what the matter is. I still need more tests. I'm on new meds.

HELP!! Harry and I are throwing a huge super bowl party and I need help coming up with ideas for things I can eat and that are healthy for others as well. So far this is the list of JUNK that Harry wants to have present: Chili peanuts popcorn tortilla chips salsa guacamole ruffles chips ranch dip lays chips onion dip cake Brattsworst with buns cheese and crackers vegetable tray 7 layer dip brownies and he is thinking of ordering a few pizzas.. HELP!!!!:help:

my wife had a baby 5 months ago and shes starting to get adjusted again, now she seems to battle really bad heartburn. she didn't have heartburn prior to getting pregnant or after the first adjustment. it was after her 3rd that put her back up to 7.5cc we will be asking the doctor on her next visit, we're just wondering if anyone else may have gone through this. Any comments would be appreciated.

Hi Everyone, I was banded in July and to date lost about 40lbs, but most recently the weight loss has stopped. I eat so much less than I used to and it's still not coming off. I've been busy over the holidays like everyone else and wasn't paying much attention to how much/how little I've been eating. Now that the holidays are gone, I've been noticing I'm not eating much at all. Breakfast, nothing, lunch a small scoop of egg salad and dinner 1/2 cup chicken. This is about average of what I eat a day. The last month, I've had a tough time getting the food down. I experience a pressure feeling and then a discomfort, a hic-cup a burb, and finally an internal squeeze…

if you have erosion of your band can u have another one put on?